Tips for Using Bullet Points in Your Copy

With online readers scanning copy rather than reading it word for word, bullet points have gone from a way just to break up long copy to a way to draw attention to the most important benefits and information in your sales copy. The truth is bullet points have become the most read portion of web copy, and as a result, you need to pay more attention to how you use them.
Here are some tips for how to get more out of your bullet points.
• Use bullet points to outline most important points of copy—Whenever someone reads your web copy, their scanning tendencies will guide their eyes immediately to your bulleted list. This means you need to place the most important information in these bullets. Personally, I prefer highlighting the most important benefits of the product or services being sold. Remember, customers are most concerned with what’s in it for them, so it just makes sense to emphasize the key benefits.

• Place items in order of importance—Readers may not make it through your entire bulleted list. That’s why it’s a good practice to prioritize your points in order of their importance. For example, if your main selling point is that you offer the best price in town, your first bullet point should highlight this fact. Don’t bury it down at the bottom of the list, as it might not get read, and if it does, it will seem less important than the points above it.

• Make bullet points consistent in structure—Find a structure for your bullet points, and stick with it. Take a look at this list. Each point begins with an action verb, and they are all one sentence in length. Consistency helps your list flow better, and it makes it easier for readers to scan over the main points without getting confused.

• Keep each point brief—The whole purpose of using bullet points is to get information across quickly and efficiently. So, don’t drag each point out for several paragraphs. Make your point as quickly as you can so your readers can keep moving forward.

• Limit the list to 3-5 bullet points—I recommend limiting your bulleted list to 3-5 points for a couple of reasons. First, if your list is too long, it won’t get read. Keeping it short ensures it gets fully read. Secondly, if your list is too long, it makes the points seem less important. If you list out 20 benefits of your product, all of the points begin to just blend in and seem trivial.

Do you use bullet points in your sales copy? Which tips would you add to this list? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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